Chapter Text
The next couple of days went by fairly easily, despite the fact that you got the shit jobs nobody wanted. They ranged from cleaning the grounds storage hut to scrubbing the castle's outer sewage drain, and the only thing that kept you going was the thought of sitting in the heated Atelier while painting beautiful women.
The week went on with you waking up on auto-pilot, already rolling up your sleeves and practically girding your loins. It always took a mental health prep from Frances, a pastry she stole from the kitchen earlier, and both of you giving a metaphorical battle cry as you headed out for the day.
And then the day would end the same as well, with Frances bundled up for sleep and you barely making it in, clothes and hair grimy from all the hard labor you had to do. When you would stumble tiredly into the room, your nightstand would have a tray covered with whatever was served that evening, a drink and a key to the showers that were already closed.
Aftering finishing absolutely everything for the night, you would crawl into bed, slightly giddy that you could occupy yourself for a while by making up silly scenarios about you and the Countess. Instances where you would have her all to yourself, or some where you would be the jewel of her eye in a sea of maids. But all those scenarios ended up bringing you back to that endless question of “why me?”
“Why would she even want a little measly maid like me?” You thought as you drifted to sleep.
For the first time in a while, you woke up with ease, excited for getting to do what you love today. For some reason, you had a hint of excitement for hanging with the girls, Or maybe their mother, you weren’t sure, but it felt like something blooming.
You got up, setting your uniform out on your bed to smooth out any crinkles. Taking one last look, you turned to the bathroom to start washing off your sleep in the sink.
Rubbing the soap on your cheeks and chin, your mind found itself settling back to the delicate kiss your Lady left on your hand. Even though you already washed it off, it felt like you were losing her attention once that lipstick was down the drain. You often found yourself caressing the spot when you got a break these past couple of days, thumb rubbing the top of your hand.
She occupies my thoughts and I can’t be upset.
Splashing your face with water, you heard a firm knock on your door. Throwing your towel on your night stand, you opened your door to see a lonely gift box with no sight of any delivery person.
Picking it up cautiously, you walked over to your bed, setting it down in the sunlight to get a better look. The box was a deep hunter green, the ribbons a daisy yellow and it all tied together with a Dimitrescu sealed envelope on top. Opening the letter carefully, you could immediately tell it was her hand writing.
Dearest Y/N,
I understand that you said that you had all the supplies you requested, but I decided to send something else to you as well. Think of it as a thanks for accompanying me to Lunch week before last.
And please, inform me or my daughters if you do not desire your gift or if you would like to exchange it for something else.
I do hope you enjoy what I picked for you, little artiste.
-A. Dimitrescu
Untying the bow, the box unfolded itself and presented you with the most beautiful pieces of clothes imaginable. Pulling out first was a white buttoned up shirt, the collar embroidered with small flowers and green vines. Underneath were a black pair of slacks, and an apron. Getting a closer look, you saw the Dimitrescu symbol embroidered on the chest pocket.
The thought of you wearing the House crest made your heart skip a beat. It must’ve meant that your lady holds you in a high regard, or maybe she likes the clothes she orders to be branded. But sitting here, thinking about it, it made you feel like you belonged.
Snapping out of your daze, you finally decided to get dressed. You didn't have to meet Daniela until 9:30 so you had enough time to actually sit down and eat. Arriving at the mess hall, you were greeted by the Castles head chef, Cookie. And yes, that’s the only name you knew her as.
She had a chef's outfit on, complete with the basic plaid pants and a messy apron. You could see that she was taking a breather after the breakfast rush, coffee in hand.
Cookie had apparently been here since before Amerforth, her seniority being shown by her gray streaks and soft wrinkles. She was almost everyone’s laid back Aunt, the kind that would let you do anything and not tell your parents.
“Hey there, bud. What’cha doing here so late?”
“Pfft you didn't hear? I got assigned to be the Castle artist, plus some other big titles, but I prefer that one. And today's my first day all over again” you said with a smile.
The chef giggled, getting up slowly to pack you a small breakfast bagel sandwich with fruit.
“Look at you, putting that skill to work, kiddo. Hey, and do be careful, I don’t want ya to jank up the misses portraits, I know their images are as important as their meals” she passed the small paper bag to you.
Giving a small wave to her, you left the mess hall. Walking into the main hall, you got a small glimpse of the maids during line up. You could see Frances standing at the front, Amerforth giving her an assignment, probably with a group. Standing there longer than a moment caught her attention and she waved at you, eyes excited for the new outfit you had on as well.
Taking notice was also Amerforth, her head turning 360 degrees just to see what the big fuss was all about. The moment she laid eyes on your new uniform, her face turned red as a cheery, and you could see she wanted to say something as well.
Not wanting to deal with whatever she wanted to say, you quickly walked up the stairs to the Atelier to hide and eat. You could feel all the maids' eyes on you as you climbed the steps, whispers making their way to your ears.
Finally stepping into the giant room, you let out an exhausted breath, the morning already giving you a good amount of stress.
Sitting on the chair, now next to an easel, you saw another envelope sitting on the wooden holder. This one had the same wax seal your lady used so you must assume it was her doing.
Darling Y/N,
Please note that all of the items you have requested have already been unpacked. The only thing you need to unpack are the oil paints in the red crate next to this easel.
Good luck, little dove.
-A. Dimitrescu
Her nicknames had you blushing like an idiot. It’s fairly obvious that maybe she does have a good interest in you, why else would she give you such a delicate name?
Unpacking your sandwich, you occasionally checked your pocket watch, waiting for 9:30 to hit.
I have enough time to gulp this down, hopefully before Daniela comes in.
Barely taking a bite, you heard fast thumping and felt a rush of flying particles whisk around your head.
“Good Morning, my little Y/N!!. Wait, what’s that?” She said as she fully manifested, crouching on your lap.
“First of all, girl, get off before you crush me. Secondly, it’s a breakfast bagel sandwich.” You said, slightly shoving Daniela off. She threw herself down, making a whine as she thumped. She then stood up, faking a small broken arm like a little dog.
“Oh hush you’re fine!” You said, taking a good chomp out of your meal.
“Ugh Y/N, the only thing that can fix my broken arm is a bite of that there sandwich, if only someone could-“
“Alright! Alright, come here, take half of it”
She immediately flooded you the moment you ripped the sandwich in half, the both of you nibbling in silence.
After a moment, you pulled the cup of fruit, the mix showing grapes and apples.
“Want some too?” You offered, showing her the inside of the cup.
Daniela scrunched her face, turning her nose up at the fruit.
“So you can eat my bagel sandwich but you won’t eat some itty bitty fruit?”
“Fruits for growing babies.” She said, turning around to her sandwich.
“So then this fruit is for you then, flame head”
You both laughed, Daniela playfully pushing you. After finishing, you started to pull paints, finding the right one to prime the canvas. You chose a light brown, starting to mix it in a cup with a lighter color to gradually let it reach a neutral shade. Daniela looked in your direction, the apron catching her eye.
“Mother sent that for you?”
“She gifted this to me, actually. I really appreciate it though, just means that I won't ruin another uniform” you said, hoping her teasing was going to be light today regarding your obvious attraction towards her mother.
She took a deep breath in, and with that, you automatically knew she was going to be relentless.
“Are you sure you just appreciate it because it won’t dirty your other uniform, or do you appreciate it because of the fact that my mother sent it to you?” you could hear her say, a bouncy tone taking over her voice.
“Please, Daniela. Go easy on me, buddy.” you said, not wanting to face her. Daniela flew a singular fly on your hand, it’s tiny grubby hands rubbing together. It walked up your sleeve until it was next to your ear.
“C’mon, Y/N. Don't be shy and just admit it!” Daniela said through the fly, the voice buzzing ticklishly into your head.
“Oh hey, I almost forgot! I had an outfit planned for my portrait, is it alright if I go put it on really quick?”
“Of course, I’m going to prime the canvas first and then let it dry so take all the time you need,” you started to use a big flat brush to swipe all over the canvas. “But do be back in about 20-30 minutes, and then we can get started”
Daniela gave a quick thanks, and with that she rushed out of the room, leaving the room to just you.
You painted a rectangle on the outer ring and filled the inside with just a zig-zag just to make sure every thread was filled. Going back to get another dollop of paint you heard the door open slowly.
“Hey, that was quick, go ahead and figure out what pose you want-”
You stopped to turn around to see Amerforth with three maids in hand. They all stood at attention, hands clasped in the front.
“Starting portraits today? I was hoping I could’ve borrowed you for another week!” She said ecstatically.
You took a breath in, internally debating if you should answer her or go back to work. You turned back to your canvas, using your peripheral vision to watch her movements.
“Now, now, Y/N, I’ve come to apologize. Please, my girl, won’t you listen to me?”, you could almost hear a stupid pout making its way into her face. “It’ll only take a moment, then I’ll let you get back to it”
Shoving your items down on the tray next to you, you turned to see her standing rather close for some reason.
“Okay, I’m listening?”
“I am so sorry for the way I’ve acted all these months, as well as my behavior last week in the Lady’s office. To me, it just seems like I clouded my judgment on how you serve this House, but I can see that this might be a good way to go.” She said, every word being stretched as if she wanted you to take in this moment.
You turned to the other maids, their eyes forward but you knew they were listening in. You looked back at Amerforth, her eyes were pleading almost, and it was enough to actually make you feel bad.
But it was going to take more than some puppy dog eyes and a pout to get you to accept her apology.
“Y/N, you don’t have to accept my apology but do know that I-“
“Then good. I don’t accept it.” You said cutting her off. You grabbed your brush and went back to paint.
“Oh my, Excuse me?” she inquired, placing a hand over her chest as if she was calming her beating heart.
“You heard me, I don’t accept your apology. You showed me no compassion when it came to my file and at the meeting, so do you think a simple apology will fix all of that?”
At this point, you could feel yourself build with complete anger over the fact that she even tried to apologize in such a nonchalant way.
“Really think about it, Mildred-“ you said, spitting her name out as if it was poison. “You couldn’t even fathom how horrible you’ve been just to give me something so half-assed? And what’s worse is that you probably wouldn’t have given it if you didn’t get scolded by the Lady in her office a week ago.”
You stood up, feeling proud that you could take control of her confrontation. You turned to face the other women.
“And you three, be witnesses to how our Grand Chambermaid likes to handle a maid that couldn’t do a couple of simple jobs. Be better and try to solve the problem before taking an easy way out.”
Before you could continue, you were interrupted by a loud sniffle.
Oh my god, is she really crying?
Amerforth pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket, dabbing the corners of her eyes, a silent whimper making its way out of her mouth. She looked at you, tears falling like rain drops down her face. And now you felt bad blowing up at her even though she was at fault.
“Oh please Y/N, that's not true! I’m trying my darndest to make sure all my girls can feel as safe as they can while serving The Lady!” she said pitfully, hands folded in front, almost as if in prayer.
You were baffled, what kind of game is she playing here? She waved towards the maids, facing away to hide her face.
“My friends, I dont want you to see me in such a fragile state, leave me here to speak with your comrade so I can hopefully persuade their heart.” And with that, all of your spectators disappeared, the lot of them briskly walking away to gossip about this odd interaction with each other. The room became silent once again, but your thoughts were echoing, bouncing off the walls of your skull trying to figure out exactly what she was doing. Perhaps she was actually trying to be genuine.
“Now, my Y/N, wouldn't it be in your best interest to accept my apology? I know it would help put your mind at ease and I am trying to make it right here!”
You turned away, not wanting to say anything to her. Part of you felt like she was cornering you into accepting the apology. You cover half of your face, praying that either one of you could disappear into thin air. In a minute of waiting, you heard her give a disappointed sigh and her light steps towards the door.
“At least I tried to make peace with you, Y/N. Think about my apology and try to find it within yourself to forgive me.” she said, closing the door softly behind her.
You sat there, not sure what to do. You didn't want to cry, and you didn't want to dwell on it either. The Sympathetic side of you screamed to accept her apology, but another told you that it would be too easy, basically sweeping the dirt under the rug. Rubbing your temples, you heard the familiar sounds of Danielas flies seeping through the doors.
“Y/N, Look!” she said as you turned. She was radiant, her dress looking like it came out of a fairy-tale book. Her sleeves were long and droopy but the shoulders puffy like a classic picture of Snow White. The neckline was low cut, but was modest, as well as the length of the dress. The thing that caught your eye the most was the beautiful green fabric that was used for the dress, vine patterns littering the lower part of the dress.
“Can you help me braid the side of my hair? I want to look like Elven.” She said, sitting on the ground next to you.
You grabbed the three sections of hair, intertwining them bit by bit. It didn't need to be perfect but it needed enough shape for you to sketch out.
While braiding, Daniela peeked over to your face. She noticed your furrowed brows and the small subtle twitches in your face that gave off your thought process.
“Hey, you okay?” She said, hand stopping yours for a moment. You could only stare back at her bright eyes until you realized you didn’t say anything yet.
“Uh yeah, I’m all good. Just had a weird encounter with Amerforth just a second ago..” you trailed off, fingers using a rubber band to hold the end of the braid together.
“Oh right, I saw her leave down the hallway as I came down over here. Her heart was beating like crazy out of her chest if I’m honest with you”
“Do what now?” You questioned, letting Daniela get up to sit in the opposite chair in front of you.
“Hmm? Oh! The heartbeat thing, I forgot to tell you. Mother, my sisters and I can sense a person's heartbeat from just standing next to them.” She said as if that was completely normal. “We can hear them quicken, slow down, panic when we buzz too close..”
Oh god, that means the Lady probably sensed mine back at Lunch-
“You’re not going to get in your head about it, are you?”
“What? Pfft, no, of course not.” You answered, eyes trying to focus on what sketch paint to use.
STUPID STUPID STUPID-
“You sure? I feel like you’re thinking about Lunch with Mother and that she could feel your heartbeat the whole time because you love her and-“
“Alright! Just sit there and look pretty please!” You cut Daniela off before she could make you blush any harder over the thought of her mother.
She immediately sat in the opposite chair, giving her most outrageous impression of a Shakespearean pose. You knew that her mother would give a good scolding to either one of you if she saw the flashy pose her daughter's portrait showed off.
“C’mon, sit normal, Dani” you pleaded, palette in hand already.
“Ah fine, fine, I just wanted to be funny” Daniela sighed, turning her body a certain way to give a normal look.
“Won’t be funny when your mother comes at you with all that unbridled horse power to reprimand you on the ridiculous pose you chose..” you reminded her.
“Wouldn’t you like all that horsepower coming at you instead” she said quietly.
“I'm sorry, you said something?” You said louder than normal.
Daniela gave a chuckle, knowing she could still turn this around on you. She ultimately decided to sit in comfortable silence with you, the air floating with a serene sense that only comes once in a while.
You sketched with a medium brown paint, lines mapping out where her nose and lips would sit. Daniela took a glance over to you to see you completely in the zone. She didn’t want to interrupt you but she wanted to ask a quick question about Amerforth.
“Hey, you never got to tell me the whole deal with Amerforth this morning?” Daniela’s eyes looked towards you but kept her face forward.
You heard her question but took a moment to answer her with a simple response instead of letting your opinion cloud the wording.
“She, uh, came in to apologize.” you said while switching out brushes to sketch the details of her eyes.
“Mildred? Apologize? Never in a million years more like.” Daniela scoffed. “She’s been here a decade and the only thing she’s ever genuinely apologized for was when she spilled wine while serving Mother.”
Daniela’s statement made you wonder what she was like in her early days of employment. The thought of Amerforth struggling and sweating bullets over mishaps gave you a small twinge of joy, but then again it should’ve made her understand where you were coming from.
“What was she like in the beginning?” You questioned, eyes finally leaving the canvas to take a peek at Daniela.
She gave a soft hum, silence indicating that she was trying to remember what happened all those years ago. Daniela shifted in her seat before saying “I have a vague memory of her first visit here, Cassandra and I were setting bets on which maid would croak first if I’m honest. Our first impressions were that she was frail but ambitious. Not like the suck up she is now.”
There was a pause before she decided to go on, it seemed like she was piecing things together as accurately as she could.
“She was also clumsy, always giving a pitiful look when she would drop something or trip over the carpet. Even the smallest offenses were enough to have her on her knees begging for us not to slit her throat.”
“Sounds a bit like me” you sighed as you looked back to the canvas to continue sketching her bottom lip.
“No, nothing like you, Y/N. You’re different in many ways, especially when it comes to her report file.” Daniela reassured you. “Her ass got saved probably ten times more than you.”
“Must’ve been a kind Grand Chambermaid then”
“She was. Her name was Anne.” she reminisced, eyes starting to wander as she continued, “She was the best Grand Chambermaid we ever had, she was like a Grandmother to all of us, including Mother.”
The way Daniela worded her last statement had you guessing that maybe this was a sensitive subject.
“I remember when she would scold us over running in the halls, or the one time we dragged a lycan into the main hall as a pet. She was so mad, the thing snarled at her and she smacked it square in the face, making it run and hide underneath the staircase. You know if that thing had a tail, it would've been tucked.” She laughed softly, “God, I miss that old girl..”
You paused, head formulating an answer that would bring as much grace as you could to the topic.
“I’m glad she made a good impact on you guys. She sounds wonderful.”
“More like “sounded.” One day, she didn't show up for line-up, which everyone thought was odd since she ran this place like a compound. After searching for a while, Mother ended up finding her lifeless in the library. Since Anne was close to 76, we all just assumed maybe she passed away peacefully while reading a late night book. Or maybe she fell asleep and went like that. Tore us up.”
“Oh Dani, I'm so sorry-” you said before being cut off.
“Hey, no, it’s okay, it helps to talk about it if I'm honest. We’ve had enough time to work through it.” She reassured before continuing, “But the thing that really clouded her death were the weird things we concluded when she died.”
‘Weird things, weird how?”
“Well, she had talked about possibly taking Mother Miranda’s gift to continue serving the Castle. Mother Miranda even cleared her for the procedure, she ran her vitals, took a full physical and not one thing was wrong with her. So her death was shocking to say the least.
We suggested maybe something malicious was at play in regards to her passing but Mother wouldn’t hear any of it. Looking back at it, I can see how insensitive we were at that moment, asking endless questions, but we were already in the stages of bargaining, so it was reasonable.”
Daniela couldn’t help but sigh, “That’s one of the reasons I’ve promised not to get close to any maids here, they’d always be gone in a flash.”
“Ha! well too bad now, you're friends with me and now you’re stuck with me” you joked lightly, causing Daniela to chuckle at your comment.
“But anyways, back to Mildred. It took a couple of months after Anne’s death before she was even considered for Grand Chambermaid. That's when her confidence was literally oozing from all her pores, even if it embarrassed her. I can recall seeing her trail after Mother, practically begging to let her prove herself in both running cellar duties as well as a group leader.”
The thought of cellar duties made your stomach churn with disgust, memories bringing back all the groans and screams of torture during your first couple of nights at the castle.
Word around the castle claimed that misbehaving maids or prisoners were mutilated or tortured for small crimes down there. You could recall a fellow maid describing the smell and how you could practically taste the gore in your mouth by setting foot there, even if it was just a moment.
Amerforth must've really wanted the position if she was willing to go that far.
“But the tipping point was when a man-thing slipped into the courtyard, gun and bullets at the ready to “finally rid this village of evil, one by one blah blah blah” he said.” Daniela scoffed, “our ears picked up his last words before his heartbeat stopped. We rushed to find Mildred going berserk on his head with one of the stone tiles. After she was done with finishing the job, we searched the man for any identification, only to find stolen cyanide vials from Mother Miranda’s lab.”
“So that led you guys to assume maybe that man had something to do with Anne’s death?” You questioned. “Maybe she was poisoned?”
“Precisely, but to me, it just seemed all too easy. Why would he kill Anne that one night and not us? Was it to stir our emotions and then catch us off guard? I’ll never know. What I do know is that it’s over and we’ve moved past it.”
You noticed Daniela’s eyes seemed to unfocus as if she was rethinking reasons for that night but the sound of your brush scraping along the fabric brought her back to you.
“Sorry, but yeah, Amerforth became Grand Chambermaid after that, and it’s been the same since” she said quietly.
“And that’s understandable though, your Mother probably saw that as her protecting the castle or Amerforth giving her undying loyalty, even if it meant she had to kill a man.” you responded.
There was a moment of silence before you could hear the gears turning in Daniela’s head.
“Hey Y/N? Would you kill for us? Maybe Mother will promote you in more ways than-“
“Hush.”
The rest of the session was filled with the two of you joking around, or sharing the dumb stories you had these past couple of months. She ultimately set up a goal of getting you to mess up her portrait as proof she was the funniest Dimitrescu sister. Every joke or quip she gave always had you talking louder than her to avoid hearing what she had to say, but eventually you gave in and accidentally swiped too much green across the bottom half of the canvas.
Your tiny scream instantly had a regretful Daniela apologizing and patting your head, her flies erratically telling you that you could fix it and that it wasn't the end of the world.
When it was time for you to take a break, you and her snuck into the kitchen to grab goodies and get out. The only person who really saw you was Cookie, and she actually assisted in your small robbery.
A couple of hours later, after setting your base colors and shadows down, you finally took a glimpse at the clock. It was barely on the cusp of 5:30, giving you the signal to shut down for the day.
“Well, time to call it quits for now, Dani.” you sighed, scooping mixed paints from your palette and plopping them into tiny jars for later.
“Aw boo, I was having fun” Daniela whined as she stood and stretched. “I better take off to Dinner, my stomach is begging for something with a little more muscle if I'm honest”
You responded with a tiny blech, knowing that she was referencing a human steak that hopefully was some intruder or dead fellow from the village instead of a maid. Grabbing the tiny bucket of paint thinner, you slapped your brushes against the easel frame to get the last remaining colors out of the bristles.
“You don't want to head down with me?” She asked, interrupting your clean-up.
“My dinner doest start till 7:00 so I think I’ll wait out here until I hear the stampede make their way to the mess hall” you responded.
“Pretty please? Perhaps you can get a glimpse at Mother?” she said with an eyebrow wiggle.
Sucking your teeth at her teasing, you pondered on heading down with Daniela. Maybe you can at least spare a moment or two with the lady before you have to wait out until supper. You can give her thanks for the outfit or discuss how the first portrait is coming along.
“Fine, but let me be professional around her, I’m trying to hold up a better image” you said, folding your sleeves back down.
The walk down wasn't all that bad considering that it should be bustling with maids setting up the dining hall for dinner. The Main Hall was silent despite the constant crackling of the fire and settling of the castle foundation. Daniela opened the doors dramatically, making her way to her seat to fall as if she was fainting.
“Today drained me, Mother..” she sighed.
You walked in and saw Lady Dimitrescu had already been served a full glass of wine, her head resting on her hand.
“My Darling, all you did was sit and pose, that's the least exhausting thing you've done yet” she playfully scoffed at her daughter's performance.
Sensing your presence, she looked over to see you standing near the doorway, your body defaulting to maid mode to serve her when she commanded.
Her eyes took in how handsome the shirt and pants fit your figure, but what really made her heart thump was how marvelous the Dimitrescu symbol fit on your bosom pocket.
It made her feel as if you were already hers, your love belonging to only her and no one else. But either way, even if you weren’t claimed by her, it still gave Lady Dimitrescu the comfort of knowing that you are only partially branded.
You could feel her eyes trailing all over your body, but you wouldn't dare call her out of her trance. Your heartbeat felt like a drum against your ribcage, your whole body wanting to melt into her embrace. But waking from your haze, you cleared your throat, the sound waking the Lady as well. She turned back to her wine, swirling the liquid before taking a generous gulp.
“I-I wanted to thank you, my Lady.The outfit is absolutely gorgeous” you said, voice breaking the tense silence. Daniela suspected that maybe her company could intrude on a tender moment between the both of you by how you even began wording your thanks. Her flies rushed out under the door while yelling.
“Be right back! Don’t want my dress to get ruined by Dinner! Love you!” her multiple flies said.
The both of you chuckled at Danielas show, but eventually Lady Dimitrescu let her attention fall back to you. “You are most welcome. I wanted to gift you something to show my gratitude for taking on such a project”
“It's one heck of a way to show it. The outfit fits perfectly, how did you know my measurements?” you asked, shifting on one leg to get comfortable.
“ Little artiste, aren’t you aware that I know almost everything about the people I hire here?”
“Including their clothing measurements?” You laughed at how far she went in lengths to get your clothing right.
“Yes, including their clothing measurements. That and maybe taking a tiny peak in your files from the tailor regarding your uniform” she answered back, “but enough about that, how was your day with my daughter?”
“Fairly well, the day started with your gift so I was ecstatic to get started, and Cookie saved me a sandwich which sometimes there’s never any left by the time I usually show up”
“There are days you’re so late you don’t get to eat breakfast?” Lady Dimitrescu asked, her voice laced with concern, “Y/N, no wonder you can’t focus, your body isn’t getting enough nutrients.”
“My Lady, don’t worry, I always think ahead. Sometimes Frances will save me a pastry, or Cookie, knowing that I’ll be late, normally tries to save me something in case everyone else horks everything else down.”
“OR, I usually go for the apples or oranges no one wants.”
Lady Dimitrescu welcomes you to a smaller seat next to her as you ramble, “ And do you know your maids will eat anything but the fruit? I think that’s pretty important!”
“Ha! Same as my daughters.”
As you started to rant, The countess noticed that you often talk with your hands to prove the severity of whatever the subject is. She also notices that you make up voices to represent either your inner thoughts or other people in your stories.
And every time your mouth opens, she can’t help but adore the way you’re so passionate about whatever goes on in this castle.
“You know, now that I think about it, maybe they don’t want to eat the fruit after Cassandra and Daniela did that fly vomiting prank two months ago..” you conclude, shoulders deflating after going on a tangent.
The Lady clicked her teeth, “Awe criminy, I told those girls not to disturb the maids' breakfasts. It’s bad enough we practically hunt them on a daily basis. It’s only fair that they get to enjoy what could be considered a last meal.”
“That’s…reassuring I suppose” you sighed tiredly.
“Oh Y/N, you understand what I mean.” She responded to your anxious state.
“Of course, I know but it’s always a little hard getting used to after a while.”
Lady Dimitrescu knew that the castle environment could change. Ending the bottomless amounts of deaths or injuries because of her family's nature. But even attempting a feat like that would be a frustrating journey of its own, one with a conclusion that would just revert back to what it was before. But maybe Y/N could change this, to give some peace of mind to her and other maids, the senseless violence could end.
Feeling your uneasiness, the countess decided to get back to the topic of your day. Hopefully it could deter you back on track, avoiding all the grim realities you still sadly live in.
“Anything else happen today?” The Lady asked, taking another sip from her wine.
Her question had you instantly recall the odd encounter with Amerforth earlier today, the scene replaying in your head clear as day. You wanted to say something but you also felt anxious bringing that subject up with her, not knowing her feelings regarding Amerforth.
“No not really, just working on Daniela’s portrait without messing up” you smiled softly.
“If anything, her painting is becoming quite eye-catching if I’m honest-“
“Oh? Even more than what mine could be?” She teased, her fingers playing with the base of the chalice.
“Excuse me, my lady, no matter what, you and your daughters are all beautiful in your own ways, some regal and some alluring..” you trailed off, your eyes attempting to look anywhere but hers.
“And what would you specifically label me as, cel mic ? ”
Giving a quiet awkward laugh you felt like unleashing the way she’s been making you feel these past couple of days. You felt yourself slightly freeze as she put you on the spot.
“Don’t get shy on me now, Y/N. Go on then” she said as she turned her whole body towards you.
You know she’s dangled a carrot in front of your face and you desperately wanted to take advantage of the baited opportunity. The emotion making your adrenaline spike in which only your lady could pick up.
“I think Stunning would be a wonderful word to describe you..” you paused, mentally dipping your toes into this area of flirting before continuing, “if I painted you right now, the piece would be priceless, not because of my talent but because of the subject I’ve painted.”
Your mind continued to urge you to take control of this game with the countess.
“I’m incredibly lucky to have the chance to let one art form meet another when I finally get to do your portrait. No matter what medium it would be, my reaction would be the same as it is in reality. Stunned. Blinded, by how beautiful you present yourself.”
Your lady was shocked at the confidence that exuded from your words. She wondered if you were just fluffing her up to escape from whatever this interaction was but your heartbeat gave you away. All it did was tell the truth that Lady Dimitrescu so desperately wanted.
Turning her head back to her cup, she attempted to hide the blush that was growing on her pale cheeks. But at the same time, it took every ounce of the countess not to reach out and romance you right then and there.
Looking back at you with one eye covered by her elaborate hat, she found a small loophole on your face to take back the reins of this carriage that would surely crash into a whirlwind of emotions.
“Y/N, come closer..” she beckoned with her finger.
Oh god, I really did it this time. I didn’t know when to stop and I pushed a boundary-
Lady Dimitrescu licked her thumb and rubbed a patch of paint that had accidentally made its way on your skin earlier. She rubbed rather harshly on your cheek but not as bad as you figured someone with her strength would.
“Hey! Hey, wait a second-“ you protested before her voice hushed you.
“No, none of that, this was almost distracting me from your adorable attempts at wooing me..”
There was a moment of silence as she continued to work the pigment out of your skin, her hand moving your head back and forth to see if there were any more bits left on your face.
“Well did it at least work a little bit?” You asked, hopeful eyes lifting up to hers.
You felt her thumb massage your bottom lip, sliding it down to open your mouth slightly, “what do you think, Y/N?”
Staring back at her, you had a grand idea in mind that would surely give you something to think about later. You made the decision to press your soft lips to the pad of the thumb, the kiss giving a small smack. Her pupils expanded at the sight, her mouth slightly agape from how intimate this all was.
“My, my, how bold you are today, draga mea..”
“M-me? Bold? How couldn't I after these last couple of days, my Lady..’’ you said as you melted into her palm, a shaky breath escaping your mouth.
But before either one of you could even make a move, the door bursted open with all three daughters wreaking as much havoc as they could with their bugs. Separating off of each other as if you two were on fire, you both attempted to remain stoic as the girls tore up the room with their excitement for dinner.
You could hear Cassandra and Bela’s voice arguing without having to manifest at all. Danielas swarm, however, decided to circle around the other two piles of flies.
“FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGH-”
“Daniela! Please! For heaven's sake, you're going to give mommy a headache..” Lady Dimitrescu said as she rubbed her temples. Daniela gave a small “sorry” and flew back to her seat.
The moment the girls noticed your presence, they formed in their seats, buzzing coming close to a stand still. Bela wasn’t all that fazed, and Daniela gave a shit-eating grin at the remarkable blush on your face.
Cassandra however, was staring daggers at you. You took a guess that maybe she picked up your rapid heart rate, and she somehow knew that it wasn’t from fear.
“Mother, why is she here?” Cassandra said, flies buzzing with building tension.
“Darling, she came to inform me about the process of your sister's portrait. Right, Y/N?” The Lady questioned, turning to you casually.
“Y-yes, that is correct!” You said a little too enthusiastically. You stood straight out of fear that even showing the slightest bit of faltering would have Cassandra going animalistic on you.
Lady Dimitrescu grinned at your eagerness and your instability, “And since Daniela was technically our “Guinea pig” for the portraits, Y/N will tell you what you two will expect when the time comes for your sessions..” she finished, leaving her sentence open for you to speak.
“Sure, uhm, Sessions start at 9:30, you will sit for a while I sketch your pose, and if you decide to move, I will take a photograph to work from later when you are not available. Since we will be in the Atelier for a period of time, you are welcome to bring snacks. But just give me a heads up in case that snack is still living, I don’t want to be surprised-“ you said before Cassandra cut you off with a dark laugh.
“Surprised?! Oh, Y/N, Do you even know who you’re talking to?” She sneered.
“M-my deepest apologies, I just don’t want a mess near the canvas and I’m trying to make these portraits as clean as possible. Plus, I’m not really good with the gorey surprises I’ve seen around the castle..” you said, bowing your head to avoid her eyes digging their way into your skull. That was a bad idea, as it gave Cassandra the excuse to pounce on you.
She floated inhumanly quick across the table, lifting your head to look into your eyes. Her fingers dug deeply into your cheeks as you whimpered in pain.
“You know I could always show you a gorey surprise in the cellar if you’d let me-“ she threatened before Lady Dimitrescus' voice boomed throughout the room.
“Cassandra! That's enough from you!” Her massive hand grabbing her daughter's arm and lifting it off of you.
“I’ve taught you to be a lady, and you have been nothing but combative towards the artist. Now if I knew that you needed to get these urges out to avoid letting them show at the table, I would've let you run rampant on a maid, but now that’s out of the question. Remain quiet for what else she has to say, or so help me, I will let you suffer from the consequences.” She scolded, reaching over to set her daughter back down into her chair as if she was a toddler, letting Cassandra to huff and cross her arms in a small fit.
You were shaking slightly by how quick things escalated and your Lady instantly picked up the pace of your heart. She reached out slightly, fingers ghosting your shoulder softly.
“Go on, draga mea, finish what you need to say.” She urged you, her voice taking a delicate tone as if any other would blow you away.
“It’s okay, everything I said is how every session will be treated.” you said a tad bit louder than a whisper. “A portrait should only take about 3-4 days to complete so if I can work on all of them at once, they should be ready to show at the Festival.”
Wringing your hands, you slightly glanced in Lady Dimitrescu’s direction. You could tell she was looking at you but you didn’t have the courage to look up. Your lady could tell that you were still shaken up, and sensed that maybe it would be a good idea to let you retire for tonight.
“If that is all, you are dismissed for today. Get some rest, dove.” The moment her sentence ended, you bowed and power walked out of the room.
The walk to the mess hall was filled with nothing but your inner voices reminding you why it would be difficult to get close to Lady Dimitrescu. Although Daniela accepted the idea of your relationship forming, you weren't sure how the rest of the family would feel, especially Cassandra. It all came back to how quick she snapped, and who’s to say Lady Dimitrescu wouldn't do the same in other instances? Your goal of staying alive would just evaporate because you couldn't help falling for the lady of the castle? What then?
Oh but the thrill of it all.
The thrill of falling in love. The thought of her passing touch or her embrace made every waking day worthwhile, giving you a reason to continue forward just so you could possibly feel it over and over again.
This type of emotion was absolutely dangerous, it would make you do crazy things, but you were okay with that. Just as long as the thought of making her yours would never find its way out.